["Who are you?! Does Sister Xiao Wu know you?"]
[Xiao Wu stared at the newcomer in disgust, drawing her lower legs back slightly.]
["If you dare look at me with those disgusting eyes again, believe it or not, I'll kick that thing of yours to pieces!"]
["Heh, interesting. You've got some fire!" Even after being cursed at, the blond young man wasn't the least bit angry. Instead, his interest grew.]
["Fire, my ass!"]
[She darted forward like a rabbit, instantly activating Martial Soul Possession, and aimed a flying kick straight at the blond young man's crotch.]
["Oh, so you really are a rabbit?!"]
[The blond young man was even more delighted. Unhurriedly, he tossed the twins he held in his arms aside, shook out his hands, and instantly activated Martial Soul Possession.]
[He crossed his thick arms, preparing to take the blow head-on.]
[Legs that long must feel so... when you squeeze them.]
["Thump!"]
[Just as the blond young man's mind wandered through his fantasies, an elbow slammed viciously into his completely unguarded face, making him see stars on the spot.]
["Who was that?! Who dared sneak-attack me, Dai Mubai?!"]
[After activating Martial Soul Possession, the young man who called himself Dai Mubai grew dramatically in size. His blond hair instantly turned black and white, and even a majestic "king" character marking appeared on his forehead.]
[The imposing white tiger now covered his left eye socket with his broad palm, roaring in disarray.]
[His earlier composure was nowhere to be seen.]
["Brother, my friend may have been a little rash, but you were the one who provoked her first."]
["Why don't we let this matter rest?"]
[The elegant figure in white spoke calmly, one hand supporting Xiao Wu's slender waist and the other holding a sword.]
["..."]
[Feeling the unfamiliar touch against her waist, Xiao Wu stared rather blankly at Li Shaobai's profile. She was about to say something when she suddenly felt the hand at her waist disappear.]
[Li Shaobai withdrew his hand calmly, his ink-black eyes fixed on the white tiger Soul Elder before him.]
["Of course, if you insist on continuing, the Great Soul Arena happens to be right here."]
["Why don't we two men go inside and have a match?"]
["Ugh, you..." Dai Mubai covered his eye socket with one hand, his exposed double-pupiled eye glaring fiercely at Li Shaobai as though he wanted to swallow him alive and skin him.]
[But suddenly, as though something had occurred to him, Dai Mubai voluntarily dispelled his Martial Soul Possession and returned to normal.]
["Hahaha! Interesting. Looks like this year won't be too boring."]
[Slowly lowering his hand and revealing his bruised left eye, Dai Mubai suddenly laughed as though carefree.]
["You could say we've fought our way into an acquaintance. Take these books as an apology!"]
["If you run into trouble at Shrek Academy in the future, just give them my name: Dai Mubai, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger."]
[With that, Dai Mubai beckoned to the beautiful twins and turned to leave without waiting for either Li Shaobai or Xiao Wu to respond.]
[The onlookers, who had thought they would get to see some excitement when Xiao Wu attacked, also left in disappointment when the fight failed to materialize.]
[In an instant, only Li Shaobai and Xiao Wu remained where they were, exchanging a somewhat bewildered glance.]
["..."]
["Seriously, is that lecherous tiger insane?"]
["He stirred up trouble himself, then dusted off his backside and left? And what was that about giving his name at Shrek Academy? What even is Shrek?"]
["And you, Mr. Genius! I... thank you..."]
[Xiao Wu's final words of thanks were so quiet that even Li Shaobai barely caught them, but he merely gave an easy smile.]
["You're welcome, but you really ought to change that temper of yours."]
["When you're out on your own, don't charge headlong into everything. He was a Soul Elder, after all."]
[Though there had once been a fellow who dared leap at a Soul Emperor with a slashing strike as a Soul Elder...]
[A sword-wielding figure flashed through his mind. A trace of gloom flickered in Li Shaobai's eyes, and he said no more.]
[Was I inferior to Dugu Feng because I lacked that courage to do something even knowing it couldn't be done?]
[Was that also why he said my sword was unsteady, that I wasn't even qualified to make him draw his sword?]
[With his heart full of worries, Li Shaobai turned and walked into the Soto Great Soul Arena.]
[Xiao Wu: "What's going on?!"]
["For once, Sister Xiao Wu was actually going to listen to some advice, and you just walked away?!"]
["Aaargh! How many times has this happened now?"]
[Without so much as glancing at the bustling bookstore, Xiao Wu turned and followed Li Shaobai into the Great Soul Arena.]
In the Real World, within the Star Luo Empire.
"Hey! I'm on it!"
"I'm on the Celestial Screen! Look! I'm on the Celestial Screen!!!"
Only nine years old, Dai Mubai gazed at the Celestial Screen with all four pupils in his two eyes blazing. He waved his arms and stamped his feet as he showed off to the servants around him.
"Look! This prince is just that gifted! Even the Celestial Screen acknowledges me!"
The blond boy's face brimmed with excitement, and the admiration of the lackeys beside him greatly satisfied his vanity.
Unlike the excited Dai Mubai, however, the few nobles who supported and had sided with this third prince wore very ugly expressions.
Suotuo City in the Heaven Dou Empire's Balak Kingdom?
Why would the empire's third prince run off to the Heaven Dou Empire's territory to chase flowers and willows in the future?
Were the Star Luo Empire's dancing girls not good enough?
Clearly, that wasn't it.
A prince who appeared ignorant and uneducated at a glance had not stayed in the Star Luo Empire to take part in the struggle for the crown with his noble status and martial prowess.
Instead, he had a woman in each arm in some backwater city and had even gotten into a street dispute over a girl like a common thug.
Even more outrageous, he hadn't even managed to get her?!
This was a prince of Star Luo, famed for its iron and blood?
"This is bad. Prince Dai Weisi's people won't let this opportunity slip."
The nobles who had already sided with Dai Mubai sighed inwardly.
In politics, the Celestial Screen was both an opportunity and a disaster.
As long as one displayed a towering, noble side on the Celestial Screen, the gains would be unimaginable.
But once one showed a disgraceful side on the Celestial Screen, politically, that meant eternal damnation!
At that moment, Dai Weisi watched the Celestial Screen with a somewhat complicated expression. Although Dai Mubai was no longer on-screen, his gaze still seemed to stare through it at his third younger brother.
"I didn't expect Dai Mubai would actually choose to flee outright."
[The Celestial Screen continued, but the scene did not follow Li Shaobai. Instead, it slowly shifted to a teahouse along the street.]
[In a corner by the window, a man and a girl quietly watched the entire farce.]
["You've seen him now. Aren't you going over to catch up?"]
[The man, whose hair was the same color as Dai Mubai's, glanced at the girl beside him and took a light sip of tea, his voice even.]
["..."]
[The girl beside him wore a broad bamboo hat that concealed her face.]
[Yet it could not hide her proud, curvaceous figure. Instead, it added a different sort of charm.]
["You should know I don't have the leisure to sit here with you while you grieve in silence."]
Before you continue